Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Holland, Joseph

Pastor, scholar; born Newbridge, Victoria, 15 April 1917; died Melbourne, 15 December 2009, aged 92.

Joseph Holland will be remembered essentially as a man from the country. He grew up on a farm in a large family, which was always close to his heart during his long life. The property remains in the family to the present day. His primary education was at the Newbridge State School, 1921-29, and his secondary education was with the Marist Brothers at Bendigo, 1930-33. On the completion of the Leaving Certificate, he became a trainee teacher with the Victorian Education Department. From 1934-38 he taught in State Schools, gaining the Primary Teachers Certificate. He had one year at Melbourne Teachers College. During 1936-38 he attended lectures at the University of Melbourne part time in Latin and economics, but without finishing a degree. It was during this time that he deliberated on his vocation in life. Two of his sisters became members of the Sisters of Mercy. He used to say that it was Mother Peter, a Mercy nun, who recommended the Society to him as she did others. On 18 February 1939 he entered Loyola, Watsonia.

From the start of his Jesuit life, Holland was recognized as a serious man, in his work and in his spiritual life. He had high standards and expected them of others. In administration he could be demanding, and was not always silent about arrangements of which he disapproved. He was very hard working, loyal and generous, and could be relied upon completely. He had a dour demeanour that was tempered by a wry sense of humour. He was experienced as being a shrewd and wise observer of the human scene, but never putting himself forward or seeking the limelight. He had a ready laugh and was an interesting and charitable companion.

After vows in 1941, Holland became seriously engaged in philosophy studies, followed by a year of juniorate studies at Watsonia in 1944. Many years later he completed his degree from the University of Melbourne, with a further degree of Master of Letters in French, Latin and Greek from the University of New England. Regency was at Xavier College, Kew, 1945-47, where he taught Latin, English and history, and was involved with supervising football and prefecting in the hall.

During theology studies, 1948-51, as during his earlier time at Watsonia, Holland, when not engaged in studies, was much at home working outdoors in the grounds. At Pymble, trees were felled and converted into fence posts that were used to provide a paddock for the cows.

Tertianship in 1952 was at Sevenhill, a place that Holland enjoyed as it was in the country. Many Jesuits in the province would not have considered such a remote posting to be ambitioned, but on the completion of his tertianship, Holland spent the next 14 years there as pastor, parish priest, director of the winery, cellars and farm.

The following seven years were spent in seminaries as minister, administering to the temporal needs of the institutions. First, among the scholastics at Loyola, Watsonia, 1966-68, and then at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, 1969-72. At Werribee, he also taught Latin and scripture. He related particularly well to the seminarians from farming families in the country dioceses. At the end of 1972 he supervised the immense task of closing down the College and tidying up. It was said that 40 truckloads of rubbish were sent to the local tip. The seminary was relocated to Clayton, Victoria, under the administration of diocesan priests.

In 1973 Holland returned to pastoral ministry. Counting his years at Sevenhill, he spent 42 years in this ministry. He worked in the Jesuit parishes of Richmond and Hawthorn, 1973-81, and Lavender Bay, 1982. Then began his ministry in the parishes of the Sandhurst diocese, beginning with St Brendan’s, Shepparton, 1983-84, followed by Chiltern, Rutherglen and Tatura until 2005. The country had a special draw to Holland. He loved trees, and native birds and loved the whole cycle of life and rebirth in nature.

Holland was at his happiest in these towns, ministering to people he understood so well. He was known as well for the habit of collecting old discarded pieces of wood, which he piled in the boot of his car with the aim of restoring them. From these pieces he made wood artefacts for his family. What most people saw as something to throw out or burn, Holland saw as a polished tabletop or a cupboard door. He made a superb three-tier crystal cabinet to hold glassware that stands in the Hawthorn parish presbytery.

Retirement from rural supplies did not mean the end of Holland’s active life. Upon request from Paul Rule, the editor of the annotated English translation of the Acta Pekinensia for the Macau Ricci Institute, which is a day-by-day account of the papal legation to China of Cardinal Maillard de Tournon (1705-1710) that had tragic consequences for the Jesuit Mission in China. Holland, together with other Australian Jesuits and some members of the English Province, did the first draft translation. Holland translated about 539 pages of this 1450 page manuscript. This was a further example of his dedication to scholarship.

Holland became a member of the Campion House community from 2006. As his health gradually declined he spent the last three years of his life in the care of the Little Sisters of the Poor at Northcote. He had been a very strong man, with big hands, a good head and a large heart.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)